Life growing up for me was calm and quiet, I was shy and kept to myself mostly. I experimented with drugs like many teens do, I was just having fun. I began smoking weed, taking Adderall, drinking alcohol, and taking methadone/morphine as well. In my early teens, I did drugs mostly just to fit in, that was until I badly injured my knee. I was upset and in pain, and Opiates were there to be my friend and HELP me through this. Or so I thought…
Throughout my addiction I didn’t simply lose “A Few” close friends and family, I lost almost all of them! I pushed away many of my own friends, and much of my family just stopped talking to me. I was a huge burden. I ended up homeless and living out of my car in the middle of Winter, jacked up on Crystal Meth most days. I hadn’t showered in WEEKS, I was freezing cold, and I was out of money for gas and for drugs. I couldn’t go on like this much longer.
Most of my strength to get clean came from my newfound relationship with God, my supportive case manager, and the new brothers I have met here at Grace Centers of Hope. My mom and dad are also HUGE supporters of mine, which has made recovery a bit easier for me as well. I thought I had pushed everyone that I loved away, but they simply wanted to see me live up to my full potential. They were very disappointed in me before I got here, but now they have some hope for me!
My parents are not only letting me back into their lives, but they also WANT me in their lives when I’m sober! I know that they will always be there for me, even if they have to watch from afar while I get my life back together. I have asked for lots of help during this journey because I realized that I couldn’t do it all alone. I had to slow myself down, and really start to think about my future.
Since coming to Grace Centers of Hope, my life has had a positive outlook for the first time in a long time. I have regained the trust of some of my friends, and my loved ones/family are all back in my life. I have gotten back into the gym again to bulk up and get healthy because a healthy body is the first step to a healthy mind! Just know that it is OKAY to ask for help, it doesn’t make you weak. Sometimes, all we need is a nudge in the right direction.